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Thread: Swaging cast bullets?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Mar 2010
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    Michigan
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    Swaging cast bullets?

    Hello, I was wondering if anyone swages their cast bullets for increased accuracy? Several years ago I had Corbin make up a reloading press type. .225 & .226 dia. swaging die set with various shaped nose punches to fit my various cast bullets. The original purpose was to just lightly swage lubed bullet to insure gas-check was perfectly square to bullet sides..then I began to experiment with different shaped punches. What I found was, if I re-swaged the SAECO .22 using a tapered ogive flat nose..the bullets came out slightly longer than as-cast. Re-swaging the Eagan MX with same punch bullet is a dead ringer for a Remington Yellow Jacket rimfire bullet. These little slugs just don't look different..they shoot alot better! In a Ruger No. 1 .222 Rem. the best match jacket accuracy is around 7/16" at 100yds. These re-swaged bullets easily equal this..the original cast bullets didn't come close. This swaging irons out any base imperfections in gas-check, squares and sharpens g.c. edges..and gives the cast bullet the precision look of their metal cased bretheren.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Forrest r's Avatar
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    Used to swage 38spl wc's into hbwc's, now I just cast them.

    Still use the lee 311-93-1r 93gr rn bullet to swage a 32cal (.312) 93gr hbwc.

    Attachment 102546

    Had a chance to buy a couple eagan molds a few years back & never did. I still wonder about those molds to this day, woulda-coulda-shoulda.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    I do all of my cast .44 bullets.
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  4. #4
    Banned


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    Do you swage them with the gas checks attached or before you put the GC on the boolit?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master HARRYMPOPE's Avatar
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    I have "bump"/ Swage dies for 30,35 and 22 caliber.I have the shape match the leade of my rifles throats.I can take any bullet and make it fit for the most part.My 30 caliber was cut with the throating reamer for my 30BR chamber.Its been a pretty typical procedure for CBA match shooting for 30 years.Swage and bump is done afterter they are lubed and GC'd
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  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    I used a C-H Swago-Matic to swage cast 358156s and 358477s back when I was shooting PPC and TRC revolver course. Cast of 30-1 alloy they were sized and lube in a .358 H&I die (the 358156 was also GC'd) and then were swaged just a tudge in the Swago-Matic. The bullets were definitely more accurate than when used as cast and just sized and lubed in the H&I die. Not a lot more accurate but enough so I picked up a few Xs and 10s at the 50 yards line. Didn't find a lot of difference at 25 yards and under.

    Larry Gibson

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    When using a gas check I swage with the gas check attached. I attach the gas check in my lube sizer.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy

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    Years ago I was given a full box of .430 240gn swc PB, (I do not own a 44) so I dropped them into the .452 core seat die and bumped them up to .452 Lube stayed in the lube groove, but the crimp grove all but disappeared. Boolits still shot ok in my Ruger Blackhawk.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check